Gallery Showcases Artwork from Bethesda Painting Awards Finalists

From June 6 to 30, the public can see artwork from the Bethesda Painting Awards finalists on display in Gallery B in Bethesda. The Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District selected eight painters as finalists for the Bethesda Painting Awards, a juried competition and exhibition.

Carol Trawick, a local business owner and community activist, created the Bethesda Painting Awards in 2005 to honor artists residing in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.

Finalist of the 2024 Bethesda Painting Awards

This year, nearly 300 painters submitted their work, hoping three jurors would select them as finalists. The jurors were Virginia Anderson, department head of American painting & sculpture and decorative arts at the Baltimore Museum of Art; Scott Hutchison, associate professor of practice in painting and drawing at Georgetown University; and Nicole Santiago, professor of art at the College of William and Mary and the 2023 Bethesda Painting Awards Best in Show winner.

The winners will be announced at a private reception on Wednesday, June 5, with $14,000 in prize money up for grabs. The Best in Show winner will be awarded $10,000, the second-place winner will receive $2,000, and the third-place winner will receive $1,000.

The eight finalists are:

Christopher Batten, Baltimore, Md.
Sanah Brown-Bowers, Baltimore, Md.
J. Jordan Bruns, Silver Spring, Md.
Ellen Burchenal, Baltimore, Md.
Barbara Epstein Gruber, Baltimore, Md
Lou Haney, Charlottesville, Va.
Mary Proenza, Riverdale Park, Md.
Elaine Qiu, College Park, Md,

Gallery B is located at 7700 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite E in Bethesda. Gallery hours for the duration of the exhibit are Thursday through Sunday from noon – 5 p.m. Visit the Bethesda Up website for more information on the artists.

Exhibit on Display

The exhibit includes the work of the winners and finalists. Gallery B is located at 7700 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite E in Bethesda. Gallery hours for the duration of the exhibit are Thursday through Sunday from noon – 5 p.m. Visit the Bethesda Up website for more information on the artists.

Bethesda Up hosts an opening reception Friday, June 14 from 6-8 p.m. and the public is welcome to attend.

Photos courtesy Bethesda Up.